Yesterday I rested, as I’m still well short of full speed. I’m current with replies. Today I take on the paperwork I ducked yesterday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:37 (average 4:22). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: Bernie Sanders On The Senate Floor Today [Thursday]: ‘What If There Were 83 Women Senators?’
Republicans tried to screw all of us, not just women.
From Bloomberg: President Barack Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board can’t be challenged as part of a lawsuit over requirements for businesses to inform employees of their rights, a judge ruled.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington yesterday said the National Federation of Independent Business and other trade groups “attempted to shoehorn a challenge” to the recess appointments into a case over a rule mandating that companies notify workers of their rights to form a union.
“The court declines this invitation to take up a political dispute that is not before it,” Jackson said in her six-page ruling. She didn’t rule on whether the appointments were legal.
While this battle has just begun, at least these corporate criminals did not get away with a challenge on the cheap that was hidden within an unrelated issue.
From TribLIVE: Former [state] House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, will be sentenced on March 21 on felony charges for directing a Republican Caucus effort to use public resources for campaigns.
Perzel pleaded guilty in August to overseeing the theft of $10 million in taxpayers’ money used to buy sophisticated computer equipment and technology to gain an edge in Republican campaigns.
This his how Republicans try to maintain power through crime, at taxpayer expense, wherever fools put them in control.
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread–3/4/2012”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
“Slut”
Rmoney is as bad as Rush,
Thanks Senator Sanders for speaking out for women.
Amen Regina!
I just love to hear from The righteous Bernie Sanders ( D. Vermont)
As Bernie suggests, we need a catch-up Bill. Similar to the Insurance that is so popular in Europe.
Women can not do without insurance to cover their basic needs. Senator Blunt’s Amendment needs to be crushed.
Pat, you’ll be pleased to know that Blunt’s amendment was defeated.
Good for Bernie Sanders! I cannot figure out why the Republicans have latched onto the subject of contraceptive coverage and turned it into an all-out “issue”. It must just be because they have run out of anything resembling legitimate arguments against the President. Why aren’t they yelling about insurance coverage for erectile dysfunction medication? Oh, yeah. That’s a MALE “health” problem.
The Republicans have reached new lows in the annals of election politics. Every time one of them opens their mouth, more absurdities spill out. I’m ashamed of and for them.
Kat, most insurance policies, including Medicare, do not cover ED medication, but that does not change the absolute need that birth control be covered.
3:16 I like me some fruit!
Good one, Jerry. I’ll be tougher to beat tomorrow.
Senator Bernie Sanders — “. . . the amendment we are discussing today, Senator Blunt’s amendment, would undermine much of the progress being made for women’s healthcare through a new version of a so called “conscience exemption” . Not just content to attack women’s rights, Mr Blunt’s amendment would go even further and seeks to deny patients access to any, to any essential healthcare service their employer or insurance company objects to based simply on the employer’s “religious beliefs and moral convictions”. . . . But allowing the extreme so-called conscience clause included in the Blunt amendment would allow an employer to refuse coverage of contraceptives, annual well woman visits, or even treatment for both genders like mental health services or HIV/AIDS treatment based not on a doctor’s recommendation but on the religious beliefs or moral convictions of a person’s employer .”
Employers don’t have religious beliefs or a moral conscience! — Oh damn, I forgot, corporations are people too! SCOTUS sure knows how to screw the country, yet I bet they and the corporations are the only ones that had any fun!
NLRB recess appointments — Smart judge to see through the BS and call a spade a spade. The first I’m sure of many volleys in this war of distraction.
John Perzel — May he get a room with a view — a view of freedom that he hopefully will not be able to enjoy for a very long time! And no Club Fed! Theft from the people deserves such a penalty, no different from a bank robber!
Cartoon — Take his mic away, but even better, also duct tape his mouth! He is a foul individual who deserves no quarter. I hope he gets sued big time! You know, just looking at his face, he is smiling but the eyes betray a malevolence, true evil — there is no hint of a smile in them!
You know, watching and listening to all this InsaniTea from the Republican/Teabagger candidates and their faux noise commentators like Limbarf and O’Lielly, reminded me of an old joke about the body parts. It goes like this . . .
One day, the body parts were arguing about who should be the boss. The brain said “I should be boss because I control the workings of all the rest. If I don’t function, then nobody else functions properly!” They all thought about that and then the heart spoke up. “No, I should be the boss because if I stop pumping blood, then everybody dies too.” The lungs said “I should be boss because if I don’t provide oxygen, then the everyone dies. And so the discussion went on with the kidney, liver and pancreas finally weighing in. Finally the little asshole spoke up and said he should be the boss! Well all the other body parts were hysterical with laughter such that they didn’t see the anger of the little asshole. Finally, he said, “Ok, you don’t believe me or agree with me, then watch what happens!” The brain became feverish, the heart had palpatations, the lungs laboured so, and all the body parts ceased to do their jobs and were in mortal danger! Finally they all relented and said the asshole could be the boss.
Moral of the story, you don’t have to be a brain to be the boss, just an asshole and pass out a lot of shit!
Sorry if I have offended anyone, and if need be, I will remove from my comments. But just kooking at some articles on InsaniTea, I was reminded of this. Even though I was the boss at work, I never liked the word ‘boss’ and this is part of the reason.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with religious beliefs. No woman who does not believe in contraception will be required to use it.
Agree.
Amen!
As nice as the tape sounds, I would not5 take away even his freedom of speech… just his ability to broadcast it.
Thanks, Boss! 😉